It’s the most wonderful time of the year and we’re all busy getting ready for the world’s most famous holiday – Christmas. This will mean hanging the decorations around your house and collecting your beloved family Christmas tree.
However, Fiat Professional surveyed a cross-section of 500 British households between November 18th and 20th, this year, to find some shocking results.
Through their research, Fiat found out the following:
- 75% of drivers are not aware of safe loading laws.
- ¼ drivers admit to not securing their tree at all.
- More than 1 in 20 drivers are happy to leave their tree “sticking out” of their car.
Surprised? We were! In fact, in a result of this misconduct with your tree, this could mean drivers can land themselves with three penalty points on their license and an unlimited fine – depending on the severity.
Within the research, 6% of drivers admitted to having previously travelled with their tree in a way which would have not followed the rules of the road, through various ways – such as leaving the tree hanging out of the car, or 25% saying they just “throw it in the car” and not secure it.
Although there are no said mentions in the Highway code to do with our trees, it does state specific rules on how you should load your car correctly. For example, if your tree is longer than your little MINI Cooper, then any overhanging load should include a reflective flag to clearly signal this to other motorists. In addition to this, be sure to not have any of it obscuring your vision of the road.
Richard Chamberlain, Head of Brand, Fiat Professional UK said: “The Highway Code clearly states that drivers must not overload their vehicle and must secure any load so that it doesn’t stick out dangerously.”
So, to make sure you have no nasty motoring surprises during this festive period, we want to stress the importance of making sure you’re abiding by the “Christmas Tree Laws”, in addition to thinking of the safety of yourself and other motorists around you.
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